The Korean movie “Soju War” has the English title Big Deal.
Opening Caption
The film Big Deal was released on May 30, 2025. An opening caption explains: “Although this film is inspired by the process in which foreign capital acquired a leading domestic soju company during the IMF era, all characters, companies, place names, events, and episodes are fictional.”
Which “leading domestic soju company” does this refer to? It is presumed to be Jinro. The noun phrase “acquisition process” also foreshadows the film’s ending—the fall of Gukbo. Gukbo is the name of the soju company in the film.
Jinro and the Toad
Jinro is the name of a soju company and its brand. In 2005, Jinro merged with Hite Beer to become HiteJinro. In 2019, HiteJinro launched the soju products “Jinro” and “Jinro Gold.”
I remember the animal symbol associated with Jinro: the toad. I must have been imprinted with the image from soju bottles I saw as a child. It feels friendly. In reality, however, toads do not look very friendly.
Brief Plot
Gukbo defaults for the first time. Through the little-known law firm Myeongmyeong, Gukbo applies to the court for a composition. What is a composition? It is a deferral of repayment. Gukbo then hires Solqueen as an advisor.
Five years later, in 2003, Gukbo attempts to sell Gukbo Japan to Osaka Beer in order to repay its debts. However, Solqueen interferes with the sale in an attempt to seize management control.
In the end, Gukbo goes bankrupt.
Performances by Yoo Hae-jin and Son Hyun-joo
In Big Deal, actor Yoo Hae-jin plays Pyo Jong-rok, Lee Je-hoon plays Choi In-beom, and Son Hyun-joo plays Seok Jin-woo. Seok Jin-woo is the chairman of Gukbo, Pyo Jong-rok is a director at Gukbo, and Choi In-beom is an employee of Solqueen.
Yoo Hae-jin has won many Best Supporting Actor awards, but he likely will not receive one for this film. Although his acting is excellent, he is not a supporting actor here but a lead.
Son Hyun-joo also delivers a strong performance. He appears less frequently than Yoo Hae-jin, yet the presence of the Gukbo chairman is powerful. Watching the chairman, it is hard to fully root for Gukbo despite its crisis, and its downfall does not feel entirely tragic. Nor is it possible to place one-sided blame on Solqueen.
